Killing God
by Lamp1
Summary: Percy was abandoned my his comrades in his weakest time. With no one left to turn to, he left camp seeking retribution and glory. Months later Annabeth breaks from the vile of hatred and seeks Percy for aid in the upcoming Titanomachia where secrets and mystery from both the previous war and the gods unravel. Percy is returned with magnificent powers- at the cost of his memories.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone. Before you start reading I'd like to make a few facts clear. Firstly I thought this idea up as I was having my yearly marathon of crappy Fanfiction stories. It just so happened that, like, 5 of them were "Commander of Chaos", "Assassin of Chaos", "Captain of Chaos" –esk clichés. I'm not sure if these are still around, but this story was festering in my head as a result, about 5 months ago… so clearly this story is becoming pretty addicting for me.**

**NOW BEFORE YOU LEAVE! I'd like to say that is more or less of me taking the attributes and trying to make the best out of it. So, no, this won't be another one of those clichés, in fact it only has elements or traits, but overall completely different.**

**One last thing: just so no one gets confused while reading, here's a brief history of the setting. This takes place 2 years after the Percy Jackson series (not including the Heroes series). Another war has taken place (I'm not going to talk about it now, I'm leaving that for later). And lastly, Percy has a brother who is also gone (I skipped the part where Percy is treated like crap for future parts).**

* * *

My last stand, my final challenge, behind this last remaining obstacle is my true ending, the solution that will mend my burning tempest. My only remedy will be a swift death after my vengeance is satisfied.

"Achilles!" I called out, brandishing riptide beside me. "Let's go." Without waiting for the response I charged forward, cutting riptide into the final fiend, the Destroyer of Percy.

* * *

Annabeth crumbled the small letter in her hands, her lips flattened and her jaw tightened. Never before had she felt so empty, so thoughtless like an idiot or a simple shell, hollow and worthless. Her mind shut off, working on nothing but the grey pebbles beneath her feet.

The sky wasn't happy, it never seemed to be anymore, ever sense then...

A stream of tear spill over her eye, sliding down her face to her chin then dropping onto her lap.

"Come on." Another voice whispered, one that sounded familiar, but it wasn't _his_ so it didn't matter. "Is that His note?" She asked, earning no response. "Don't do this to yourself, you're not the only one grieving because Achilles died." She said bitterly. "We're all grieving-"

"Shut up." Annabeth's voice was weak and cracking, but her emotions were all but hollow. Her once blonde hair was now a light shade of gray like the pale sky.

"Anny." The person sat down next to Annabeth. "I miss him too, but..." She looked over Annabeth, but couldn't see her eyes, which were obscured by her gray curls. "I don't know what was going on between you two, but I want you to know..." Her voice quivered a little, like reluctance. "... I loved him too."

"Shut up!" Annabeth yelled, for the first time since Achilles's death she regained her strength, forcing out so much energy that it sent tingles through her skin. "You don't understand." Her voice started off strong but broke when she said: "understand". Her grip on the letter tightened further, squeezing as if her life depended in it. "You don't understand anything..."

Thalia bit back her retort, instead she got up and stared down on Annabeth, then she left without another word.

Her strength left her, draining away like water from a broken bucket. "And I don't understand either."

* * *

"Kronos rises once again." Chiron said, placing his hands on the ping-pong table, his fingers dragged against the numbing surface. "And this time we lack every key player we once had."

The meeting room fell into bitter silence, the lamp behind Chiron did little to battle the cold blackness around them. Nine. Only nine demigods circled the table, nine leaders out of 13 cabins.

Of course due to Nico's unpredictable behavior, he was once again off on his own, soloing through the cold winter for quests and monsters to brave. Hera and Artemis would drop dead before seeing a demigod representing them in the meeting room. So why was there still only nine.

Because he's dead, gone off and vanished from existence. But who could blame him for doing so, after how we treated him, abused him, used him like a worthless pawn. Even the gods have to beg for us to see his face once more. Why haven't I seen this before?

But you did.

Yes, I did notice, I saw his frown, his sorrow, and his tears, but I did nothing to comfort him. I ignored him, forgotten all about him like an old doll.

He didn't matter to you.

My head fell once more, hanging in hopeless disappointment. Why didn't I do anything, why was I so fixated on all the little things to totally forget his face, I couldn't even remember his eyes or his voice. He came up as a blank, nothing but a white mask with black eyes.

Then another face took on the mask, a more defined structure, a broader chin and sharper eyes, dry straw like black hair. It was He, the man the averted everything, the same man that flipped this camp upside-down.

"Why is this happening?" Anthony asked, the temporary counselor for Apollo. "I thought that it'd take thousands of years for him to reform?"

"Unless the Heart Stone was not destroyed." Chiron said and immediately Thalia jumped on the defensive.

"Achilles destroyed it, don't even joke about that!" She shouted, her voice echoed in the dark room.

What was she doing, I wonder. Was she trying to protect me, to defend Achilles for my sake or was she just so in love with him, herself. Either way, it sickened me. The small folded letter in my pocket weighed down my pants.

Let it fall, humiliation is what I deserve, that was the least I could pay for Him, for my cruelness, for everyone's cold shoulder. But I knew what truly weighted me down, a small bronze pen.

"There might be a possibility that the Heart Stone was not truly broken, perhaps not completely." He said, giving careful consideration to Thalia.

"So what do we do now?" Anthony gripped the table's edge until his knuckles turned white. Poor boy, he always wanted to be a counselor but not now, no one wanted to be after the Third War. "We don't have Achilles this time."

Chiron scratched his chin for a moment, feeling distracted, maybe even contemplative. But of course there was no way he'd let me in on it. He never did anymore.

"A quest." I found my voice answer the question before I even realized I ever talked. The room grew tense, everyone turned towards me, waiting, anticipating for me to elaborate, but found no such thing. I stayed silent; it was just a wandering thought that found its way to my tongue, no reason to defend it.

"Perhaps," Chiron's eyes narrowed, he was on to something. Don't tell me he's actually considering. "A quest it is then!" His eyes set directly on me. "Considering you thought this up, Miss Chase, mind doing the honors."

"I'll take it!" Thalia cut in, her concerning eyes switched to me. What did she thing I was, a fragile doll? I won't just sit here waiting for her to rub me all over with a cloth and sit me aside safely away from any danger.

"It's mine." I stated. "I thought it up, therefore I claim it. Let me see the Oracle."

* * *

"Hey." Rachel scooted aside and patted the couch. "Come, sit."

I did so and fell lightly on the cushion, I feel so weak like never before. Pathetic how frail I am right now, all my life training all resorting to this.

"So, how are you doing?" She asked, placing her hand on my back, the notion made my guts turn. Why was everyone treating me like a glass?

I nodded, but that only meant the complete opposite.

"If you'd like the talk." She gave a halfhearted smile, but it was enough for me to get back to task.

"I need a prophecy." a concise demand.

"Yeah, I know, I overheard." Rachel smiled. What a strange girl, stating that she didn't want anything to do with the meetings yet post up on the wall in the next room eavesdropping, which wasn't so secretive, considering she once stumbled and fell, quieting the meeting room with her curses. "Come at me." Her eyes shut, and soon she was gone.

"Oracle." I stood up. "Give me a quest to solve this riddle." My hands reached into my pocket and pulled out the small crumbled letter, unfolding it to reveal its content to the green mist.

"**Take to the lands of far off undead.**

**Soak the relict in waters of white.**

**Visit the endless maze and capture the wildest beast.**

**Simplest creature, bearing the greatest challenge.**

**Face your lost and accept your fate.**" Rachel shook her head as if clearing from a daze. She blinked at me and seemed to remember what had happened. "How was it?"

My head hung low and she received her answer. Everything seemed simple enough, but the last line was far more then revealing. Accept my fate, huh. A bit blunt for the Oracle isn't it.

So I returned to the waiting counselors in the next room, eager yet dreading for my return.

"Well?" Clarisse demanded. "What's the prophecy?" If you'd shut up and let me talk...

"'Take to the lands of far off undead. Soak the relict in waters of white. Visit the endless maze and capture the wildest beast. Simplest creature. Bearing the greatest challenge.'" I intentionally cut last phrase, why give more dread than already present?

"Hm." Chiron stayed silent, clearly seeing through my lies, but said nothing of it.

"What's with the third line?" Clarisse raised one eyebrow. What's with you face?

"It's the Oracle, what did you expect?" Anthony retorted.

"Shut up, Replacement!" That made Anthony quiet down, a low blow even for Clarisse, but I guess all is fair in love and war.

"Well," I began, not that I was all that excited to set off on a quest just to find my lost, but I wanted out of this camp. "The first part is easy enough."

"Hades." Thalia leaned in.

"But 'soak the relict' what could that..." A sudden realization hit me partially with the help of my heavy pants. Something that's left behind by something that once lived. The pen served as more than an acceptable relict. "We'll get there once we get there." cross the bridge when something-something that I can't remember.

"The endless maze must be the Labyrinth." Thalia thought out loud.

"That'd work if it wasn't destroyed years ago." Clarisse pointed out.

"Well, isn't the Labyrinth alive?" Anthony asked. "So shouldn't it be healing?"

"Don't be stupid-"

"We'll give it a try, if not then we'll walk around a park maze or something." I interrupted.

"What about the beast?"

"We'll find it in the Labyrinth." I glanced at Clarisse. "Or the park maze, either one."

"If everything is settled." Chiron clapped his hands together. "Shall we select the members?"

"I'll go!" Thalia's hand flew up even before Chiron finished talking.

"And who else would you like to accompany you?"

"Rachel." A sudden bang sounded in a room over followed by a curse; the room fell silent as the girl in the next room recomposed.

"Sorry." Rachel's voice said through the walls. "I was just hanging a picture frame."

"No." Clarisse barked. "She's not trained and not the mention she's the Oracle, we can't risk her getting hurt."

"We need a good pair of eyes." I bit back. "And unless you've found out how to see through the mist completely, back off."

The girl seethed with anger, something that once scared me, but now it's just annoying.

"This is all so stupid!" She screamed and stomped out of the room. Not surprised, the same thing happened when Achilles died, now the whole camp is out of joint, everyone's gloomy faced and pathetic, but I'm the last person worthy to call anyone else pathetic, I can't even stop crying, even now.

"Let's go." I said to Thalia who followed like a dog. "I want to set off before it gets dark."

* * *

Besides Rachel's frantic hyperventilating and over packing, we were very well on schedule, the going-before-it-gets-dark schedule. Which doesn't sound hard but having to force Rachel to repack three times was a big time waste.

Before we departed, Chiron waved us towards a secluded part of the hill where the demigods knew to stay away. There he remained silent, scanning over us like some complex puzzles.

Give it here; I'll piece that shit right up.

Well maybe not quite as fast as I would before, my mind seemed to be at an all time slow, which was great news for the quest.

"I've also spoken to the Oracle before this day." Chiron finally admitted. Was that why he called the meeting? Well other then the whole Kronos reforming aspect. "It seems some great force is at work." Of course he's not going to come out and just tell us the prophecy. "This quest, I feel, will greatly contribute to the change that is before us. I cannot reveal the prophecy, however you may know that this quest most likely will be a search for a cornerstone to this uprising war." The ground silenced, no one moved or so much as breathed.

"Cornerstone?" Thalia finally asked.

"A person," Chiron eyed them. "someone with as high caliber as to be able to change the tides of this war."

This excited Thalia, a little too much.

"Who, do you know?" She chimed. "Please tell us." You mean "me"?

"No, the prophecy neither told nor gave clue to this character." Chiron shook his head; this however did not upset Thalia.

"Well," She said with a barely contained smile. "we definitely know who it is." I did.

Percy.

"Achilles." Wha-? "He's not dead, is he?" Thalia's smile widened into a grin, this girl. She turned to me and placed her hand on my shoulder as if sharing a dirty secret. "Isn't that great?"

"Let's not jump to conclusion." Chiron raised an eyebrow, thanks. Thalia frowned, almost a pout.

"We don't want to jinx it." I said, which seemed to ease her a bit. What was so great about Achilles again? He had a silver tongue, a great speaker and an even better show off, I'd be lying if I'd said it never looked him over twice, or three times.

"Now, shall we see you off?" I nodded, finding myself extremely sleepy for some reason. We waited on half-blood hill until a runner appeared.

"It's open." He coughed out. "But it looked a little dangerous to venture into."

"Danger's the name of the game!" Thalia pumped her fist a motion that confused the runner, just a moment ago she was all sad and moody now she's all hyped and ready. Girls...

"Bet Clarisse is pretty flushed about now." Rachel sang. What's going with everyone all of a sudden?

"We should go." I turned around and headed for the camp van the other two followed distantly behind, no doubt whispering about my attitude.

Since the van was pretty old Argus had a jolly time turning the key before the engine decided to cooperate and being inside that tank when the engine roared was like listing to fire truck sirens. So my decided to hang outside, feeling the worn paint of the van, slowly peeling off, the strawberries beginning to lose its color, turning a pale pink.

It was in here that we rode to New York, to face the Titan King for the first time, my nerves nearly ate me up, I held my hat so tightly that I very well would have snapped if not for the bus pulling to a stop. It was there that Percy met up with us, ready, completely armor-less, so ready to fight, so ready to protect without a second thought.

Two bangs that jolted me back to reality.

"Hey, Anny, lets go." Thalia opened the sliding door and crawled in, for a moment I felt a strange fury rise within me, then it subsided.

During the ride we stayed in silent, it was clear that none of us were ready for a quest, we knew something was up in the skies and oceans, we knew our job in the Third War were lacking and sloppy, how many Titans just disappeared? How many hundreds of thousands of monsters just vanished. None of us wanted to admit to it, but our job was unfinished. Heck even our most prioritized one ended in vain; Kronos was back, and quicker than ever.

We lost over half of our numbers last time, which puts us at the worst point in, well, ever. Not once have camps number dropped below 70 before, well there's a first for everything, right?

Not to mention some gods disappeared from existence. Looking at you Poseidon, who was clearly moping over the lost of the "greatest kin of Poseidon to ever live", Achilles. Which never happened when a certain other kin of Poseidon had disappeared.

Now, once again I find myself a hypocrite, because to tell the truth when Percy vanished, I never notice. I had assumed he was simply in his cabin. No, that wasn't it. I didn't know anything about him, I simply didn't care, and now he's gone, hopefully somewhere on a beach not giving a single care to us, well, me. Yeah, I hope he's forgotten all about me, I hope he has forgotten about every one of us worthless shits.

The passage to hell always seemed a bit too humid to me. Then again it _was_ hall. The gate practically spat vapor into the cold air. It seemed taking Rachel along wasn't such as bad idea considering she was willing and happy to sing us a nice song to open Orpheus's entrance.

Now with the scarf off, we entered the steps; this quest was already taking on a climatic setting. Step one: enter hell, great start.

The stairs didn't seem to take too long, with Rachel talking half the time, seriously, I'm pretty sure she's the only one who can talk no matter what. I was half hoping to run into Nico down here, but why would just he be posted up by the entrance at 6 o'clock on a Tuesday?

Why not visit good old Hades, huh?

Because, I'd rather not become a demon slave in this lifetime?

The terrain of the underworld was quite barren, a dessert theme with cracks on the ground and stalactite that poke from the endless skies. There was no light in Hades, but there always was a hue covering the grounds, not too bright, but enough so not to fall into the river Styx.

"So what now?" Thalia asked jogging up next to me.

"What's white?" I asked simply. She seemed dumbfound.

"Paper?"

"Well, white is typically referred to as a color. However, colors are only pigments that absorb the suns light, white absorbs no light and bounces right off, therefore white is nothing. White is empty and nothingness and what's nothingness? No memory equals nothingness, the water of white is referring to the river Lethe."

"Or it could just be white water!" Rachel called out from far, far ahead. Thalia and I caught up to her, standing on a small dome of sand, before us was a curvy river of white water cutting through the land.

"Oh." I walked up to the water, searching into my jean pocket until a cold metal touched my skin. It felt like ice, and weight like a brick but I managed to pull it out, hurray.

"What's that?" Thalia came close.

"The only relict I know of." I answered holding up the pen, she raised an eyebrow and gasp, remember? Your cousin?

"Is that Percy's?" She pointed.

"Not anymore," I cradle the pen in one hand. "it never returns to him, he had left it." Like he had left me. I crouched down, closest to the riverbank as I dare, and dropped the pen in the white water; it sank in, pulled down into the misty waters. Was it lost? Had I just lost one of the most important weapons in history?

"Was that suppose to happen?" Rachel leaned over my shoulder.

"Get a stick!" I cried and we all lost it, trailing around to find some sort of long object to poke at the water, nothing.

"Here!" Thalia handed me a metal container, without a second look I plunged it into the Lethe and swirled it around trying to find a clink or anything, but the bottle began to sink as well, I pulled it out with great ease only to find the bottom half the of the container melted off. I didn't even know the Lethe could do that!

The three of us bowed our heads in shame.

"Step one: check, step two: failed." Rachel announced, her arms forming into an X.

"We'll continue, forget about the soaking part, let's pretend we've completed that as assigned and move on." Thalia and Rachel nodded, but of course we all had doubts.

* * *

**I understand if it lacked action, let me relief you all. There is indeed action in the next chapter, and even more so the one after.**

**Annabeth won't be gloomy grump for much further.**

**Percy will be back.**

**And the cursing will ease tooooo, well, none. Do keep in mind that this whole chapter was written 5 to 7 months ago as a mini idea to keep me busy, so the pacing in this chapter is a bit rushed. The writing, in my opinion, grows a bit better as well.**

**Thanks to all of you reading this story, it means the world to me if you've smiled reading my work.**

**Please tell my how I did and if you're at all interested.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks, everyone for the support on the first chapter. I'm definitely having loads of fun with this story. In fact, I just finished another chapter in record time. I can't wait to upload them, but I do want to keep up with my other stories as will.**

**Tis chapter is pretty self explanatory, but if you have any questions or advice or even just thoughts don't be afraid to share them.**

**Anyway, enjoy, the next chapter would surely be out very soon.**

* * *

What color is colorless? I mean, yeah, technically white isn't a color what with the pigment and all; but what I meant is what does it look like to be colorless? Taking into perspective that white is a color- now try. While on the matter what does it mean to be nothing? All I imagine with my airy little head is a glass. But technically glasses are a hue of green. Or maybe a mirror?

I am nothing. I reflect everything.

The concept of grasping a colorless color is very similar to my current endeavor. You see: I'm trying to grasp the unknown as well, however, rather than color I'm trying to grasp my memories. I don't know what they are or how they are. I don't even know if there are such things. But I do feel it, the emptiness inside my head, and the emptiness inside my chest.

Now imagine I'm here, surrounded in this... colorless nothing. I can't exactly see anything, I can't exactly understand, but I knew simply that I am here. Quite frankly, that's all I need to survive.

I could feel it now, the cold moister touching my arms and legs. I can feel the weightlessness around me. Slowly the drowsiness began to wash over me. My fingers curled together, trying to conjure all my strength.

Everything became darker, everything became dull, I couldn't hear my thoughts anymore, I couldn't remember what I was ponder only moments before.

Slowly I opened my eyes, the silence piercing in my ears. My surrounding was dark and wet. I made out the faint outlines of the rigid ceiling and the sharp stalactite hanging over my head. Slow drops of water ringed a constant rhythm somewhere far off. I rolled my head, my ears submerged into the cold water beneath me.

Before me, my outstretched arm floated above a misty white water, a glowing outline of blue where my skin touched the cream surface.

"Wake up, Hero." A voice, so different from the silent that it rung out like an alarm.

I tilted my chin up, my eyes half descended into the water; a bright divide of neon blue separated the white water and the cave above. A carious character stood against the wall of the cave, far away from the water. Wrapped around his lean body was an authentic cloak in a deep green and plated with iron and silver. Affix his cheeks was an ornate mask that covered only his eyes.

His hair stuck up an inch in the air above his head, highlighted in green. His cheeks and hands, what little skin that was shown, were pale and soft. Even lying there, upside-down, I noticed the excellent articles of clothing underneath, very tacky and absurd if my fashion sense is correct.

I rose from the water, my back moaned at the movement, as if I had awakened from a long slumber. When I was upright I seem to finally notice how short the child was, maybe 15 or 16 years old.

I might not understand my current situation, but it wasn't really rocket science to figure out this boy knew everything I didn't.

So I reached my hand out towards him and raised my eyebrows: implementing my clear impatience for his cooperation. He didn't move, in fact he didn't seem to register my movement at all, if only I could see his eyes under those dark shadows.

I let my arm drop. Clearly he wasn't a friend.

"Well?" I stood up, my feet brushing against the ground under the pond. The water rippled, the boy suddenly stepped back, avoiding the waves of the water. Interesting...

I cupped my hands and scooped the water into my leaking hands. A smirk stretched across my lips. The boy seemed to have gotten my drift.

"You wanna tell me what's up?" He didn't respond, so I let the water run through the cracks of my fingers. Suddenly, my arm jerked through the water, a splash hit the dry land, the boy spun, his cloak swiping away the water.

He sprung from his location and flipped across the water to the other side of the pond like some kind of a duffle bag thrown through the air.

"You better watch out Jackson..." The boy whispered. "And get the hell out of that water." He bent his knees and jumped through an opening in the walls. The cave shook, black rocks rumbled into place of the opening closing it off.

Strange kid.

* * *

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" Thalia questioned.

"Please," Rachel scuffed. "done it once, done it a million times."

"That's not so reassuring…"

So it was true, we do act differently toward humans and demigods, that's a bit disappointing, but natural. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but share Thalia's thought; it was taking Rachel longer to choose routes, slower in the narrow halls. Maybe it was because the Labyrinth wasn't completely rebuilt. The walls had major cracks in them; sometimes its chinks were wide enough to open up to a sewer pipe, worst than it sounds.

Again we came to a crossway, Rachel stopped, her head turning from all three directions, eyes narrow. Maybe it was because she was an Oracle now? No. Maybe she's just getting old? I laughed at the thought, getting old at 18. Well, technically 16. During the Third War, many believed that the rage would last for hundreds of years, yeah, it was that bad. So as a loophole the gods granted us immortality, all but Percy.

I don't know why, but he declined the gift, in fact he didn't even hesitate to decline. What was going through his mind, I wonder. Maybe the fact that I accepted right after he rejected was a reason he left…

Please, you're not that important don't kid yourself.

Well maybe I am who I want to be?

"Hellooooo?" Thalia waved her hand in front of my face; I blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"The hound's picked up the scent again." She jabbed her thumb to Rachel who gave a sassy smile back.

"I'm sorry, it's kinda hard to look for something I don't even know of."

I gave a sigh, not this again.

"All you're looking for is some indication of life, preferably human life."

"Easier said than done." She whispered under her breath. I couldn't blame her, we're practically asking her to continue a hopeless quest, maybe we screwed up, that happens, more often than quests are completed, and they just never get noticed. Why would the gods brag about failure, they couldn't afford the disgrace.

So is this a failure? Will this quest end up nowhere, avoided by the scribers and historians? There were numerous failures in the war; too many to count, some were by my hands even. But this was an official quest; to fail this -such an important one at that- would be… well bad.

"Maybe we should head for the heart of the Labyrinth if you can't get a read." I suggested, a pitiful option, but what more could we do? What could I do?

What would He do?

"Way ahead of you." Rachel smiled slyly. "Don't underestimate someone who has no idea what to do."

That's right, He never failed a quest, never ever. And I should know, I was with him the whole way through, well almost the whole way.

I'm not talking about that man! I'm talking about Him. The one who changed everything.

What? No, not him, I'm talking about Percy. Achilles's is different, his intensions were…

Why is that that you doubt Him now, because he left you? Because he is dead, how sallow.

Achilles never felt the same way.

That didn't stop you from loving Him…

That's-

That didn't stop you from forgetting about the other one. You abandon him, you left him in the dark at his lowest, when he was weakest, and because of that he forgot about you too.

That's not true!

Hmm, why do you say that? Because of that letter, that one lone parchment that is more than 5 months old? Ha, how hopeful. No one knows what has happened to him. No one even cares, not even you and you can't pretend that you do. The only reason you're crying back to him is because he's the only one who still see's you as a tall structure, well I should say that he's the only one that hasn't seen you crumble.

You don't exist! You're just my imagination formed into a voice for deep contemplation. You are nothing!

I am right. And you are _wrong. _You are the single most disgusting person in camp. Continue; continue pretending that you _understand _him, that you _care_ for him. Keep searching for your little guilty pleasure, but we both know there's nothing there waiting for you.

"Annabeth!" Rachel cried, I snapped my head to her and found what the excitement was for. Around the corner was a black lab door.

Nothing out of the ordinary, except for the walls and ceiling, which seemed newly carved with straight lines.

"This is it." She walked forward and took hold of the door lever, with a grunt she tried to pull it open. It didn't budge. "What the…?"

"Demigods only," Thalia stepped forward and gripped the lever; Rachel scooted to the side and frowned. With clear ease, Thalia opened the door; the room inside was void of our flashlights like a wall of black.

Thalia handed her flashlight to Rachel and pulled off her bracelet, transforming it into a spear. That wouldn't do much in these tight corridors and I should expect Thalia's lightning bolts to be weaker underground, which begs the question why she even came?

"Let me go first." I shifted to the front. A dagger user in front of a spearman, very tactical, but I didn't expect a battle, it didn't seem like the right mood for a battle.

I fumbled along the wall on both sides until I came across the nub that was the light switch, several of them. One by one I turned them on, most of them worked or at least we could see the change in most of them.

"Annabeth!" I froze at Thalia's voice. "Don't take another step." She pulled my arm and forced me back.

"What? What's going on?" I turned my head towards her.

"Look." She pointed to the white tile floor, a small discoloring too light to notice. "A spell circle."

I see! The dark spots were lines, circular lines that wrapped around the room, extending outwards into the corridor that we were standing in.

Without another word, Thalia thrust her spear on the dark lines; a small blue spark connected the spear and the floor. In a blink the spell circle lighted aflame, but died out like a light bulb.

"I couldn't see it earlier because of the darkness." Thalia lowered her spear.

My arm was gripped again, this time the right one.

"Guys!" Rachel gasped. "I can feel them! There are people in the Labyrinth!"

"What?" Thalia held Rachel's shoulder. "I thought you said there was no one down here?"

"I know, I know. But right as you fried that circle or whatever I could finally feel them, I could hear their breath." She jerked her head to the side as if listening. "No some of them aren't human, there are monsters down here."

"Then we better step." Thalia pointed towards the dark passage that we had just came from. "Lead the way."

"Wait." I found myself saying, the other two stopped and waited for me to continue. There was something off, something with this room, the floors looked cleaner than I had expected, and the door hadn't collected dust. The light switches were beginning to chip paint. This room has been used.

My hands moved to the switches and continued to lift them.

Flash, tables were revealed, chairs that circled the plain, empty table, some were knocked over.

Flash, parts of the fallen ceiling, tubes and wires that were still attached littered on the ground.

Flash, The grand wall across the room with screens of all sizes, a wide multi-screen glass, on every monitor was a chair. All the screens seemed thoroughly smashed. Ever glass cracked. Every mechanism sliced and stabbed.

It wasn't a monster that ransacked this place; the damage was far too clean for one. The cuts were straight and long, like that of a sword. All the essentials were destroyed, but unnecessary objects like the tables and chairs were left untouched.

No rust, no cobweb, and the circuits that sprung out seemed so new and not at all worn on the edges where it was cut. This happened recently, very recently.

"What the..." Thalia whispered, her eyes moved from wall to wall. "What is this place?"

There! I ran to the wall on the left, the counters were the monitors were set. A small pale folder, only one document was inside. The words seemed complicated until I realized these weren't English, but it felt so easy to understand, maybe a different root of Latin? But one thing made complete sense.

On the document there was one word that stood out above all the rest, the name "Perseus" written then "#RT 411." A room number?

"Rachel!" I pulled the paper to the redhead who scanned over the words; she looked up at me and shrugged her shoulder.

"Beats me."

"No!" I pointed to the number. "Do you know where this is?"

"How the-!" She gasped, as she realized, no doubt, the name next to it. "Percy?" She scrunched her eyebrows trying to remember.

"What's going on?" Thalia, who was following me the whole time, squeezed herself in and read the paper.

"I know?" Rachel exclaimed, first like a question. "The room number… I know where it is." Her head turned and her body followed, she began to run down the passage, this time without hesitation.

"Left or right?" Rachel yelled over her shoulder.

"How should we know?" Thalia barked. "I'm not the navigator!"

"No, I mean, which route should we take?" The dark passage opened up, splitting into two tunnels.

"The correct one." I answered. Which seemed very humorous to the redhead.

"Ha, there's no such thing as correct in a maze. Don't be silly." Rachel took the right tunnel. "But that was a trick question, the left turn led to a trap."

"Stop messing around!" Thalia fumed.

I forced the bickering out. My sight locked on the dark before us, my head throbbed because of the fowl stench of gasoline. Somewhere in the close distance was my answer; Percy was somewhere up there.

All at once, thousands of questions flooded my head. Where were you? Did you write the letter? Why did you leave?

"Annabeth!" Thalia shouted. My eyes darted from the ground to the passage. In the shadows a small shift of motion.

"Rachel, what is that?" I asked.

"I dunno." She shrugged. "Can't see anything up ahead."

Something that evades Rachel in the Labyrinth was certainly not something to take lightly. Yet something within me seemed to shine, what if that was Percy?

The dark figure suddenly settled in the shadows. I squinted, trying to make out the frame of the body some 50 yards ahead. Suddenly a mass of black jumped out, the darkness pulling aside like curtains.

A man swung in midair. My hand was already on the hilt of my dagger. In a brief flash, our blades clashed, ringing in my ears.

The overhead light shed little vision on the person. A boy with short hair and what seemed like a mask. Black cloth wrapped around his form, covering his sword. He stood a meter away, unmoving.

"Who are you?" Thalia growled, her spear flickered in her hands. Why would he give away his identity if he was wearing a mask? My god…

"A soldier." I answered nonetheless. "By the way he stands: strong and high, an official soldier with clear pride and high status." My eyes moved over the metal lining around the neck of his cape. "A member of a pristine organization with good funding, a very appearance-concerned organization. Secret identity, which indicates you're concerned with highly dangerous situations. In summery, you're a highly ranked soldier of a highly considered organization who concentrate on the view of the organization as a whole rather than the individual members." I couldn't help smiling. "The more important question is which highly funded organization are you working with, I can only think of two sides, so either we're allies or mutual."

The boy didn't answer. Will he did, he dashed forward, his sword flicked out of his cape as he slashed at me.

I jumped back, hitting the floor as his sword swiped the air above me. Thalia stepped up and thrust her spear when the boy swung; he shifted to the side with amazing speed.

The boy ran pass the spear, kicking his feet against the circular wall and climbing upward. His body twisted as it reached the highest point on the wall over us and kicked Thalia on the shoulder, throwing her the ground and landing behind us.

I sprang from the ground and jabbed forward, my dagger reaching inches before his chest as he stepped backwards. His iron tipped boots slammed into my hand, the dagger whorled out of my grasp and clatter on the floor.

He swung horizontally; I ducked, the blade clipping the ends of my hair. Thalia's spear stabbed over my head and clashed with the boy's sword.

"You little shit!" Thalia stepped back and pulled her spear for another trust. "You'll regret this, Tempest Arrow!"

Fear gripped me. "No!"

The stream of azure blue light peeled from Thalia's spear and tumbled onto the boy, who stood fearlessly. His blade hit the bolt of lightning, which splattered on the ground of the cave like water. Then the darkness turned to light. Flames erupted from ground, rolling through the tunnels, around us and passed us.

"Oiltankoiltankoiltankoiltankoiltank…" Rachel mumbled frantically.

"What the hell?" Thalia blinked, idiot.

I turned back from the one end of the tunnel to the other and the boy was gone, simply gone. There weren't any shadows to hide in this time.

"Oil tank!" Rachel screamed. Just then, my ears popped, the world bleached and melted into darkness. I fell to my knees, my body shriveling in the immense heat, like a wall. An echo, the darkness began to blur into yellow and red. My eyes flutter open; all around me was misty colors. A dark blob took my wrist and pulled me to my itchy feet.

The dark figure dragged me onward, pulling and yanking. Another hand pressed against my tinkling back, a face moved in to my sight, messy black hair and pale soft skin, Thalia.

The air grew hotter and brighter, reminded me of one hot summer morning, the curtains of Athena cabin were pulled down. I took and door knob and flung the door open to the blinding light. That painful blur was very similar to now, except the heat seemed to be quite literally biting my skin off.

Then darkness, the three of us turned sharply into this sudden darkness. We continued for a dozen more steps until another wave of hot air pushed us off our feet.

I remember now, that one bright morning was different from all the rest. It was after the Second Titanomachia, I remember because all those potatoes of campers were lounging for months then, in their post-war-celebration-celebration. Even the studious Athena campers were like beanbags, unmoving and uncaring. Lazy slums.

Just the day before I had lectured, more accurately, _tried_ to lecture my siblings on the importance of routine and systematic habits and activities, their comeback was that they were practicing a new routine, the "sloth" routine.

So I yelled and yelled, startling the whole camp and especially the newer kids who found their role models as lazy blubbers.

In fact, I was so incredibly angered that I had the audacity to lock the cabin on the kids, keeping them out for the night. Luckily, it was during the school year, which meant a maximum of 6 kids, who found salvation in the big house, convenient or not.

When I opened the door, after a long night and half of the other day with every possible entrance locked, I was… unprepared for the sun. I nearly fainted, grabbing onto the railing of our porch and waving for more support.

Until I grasp onto something less solid. I pulled forward and snuggled my cheeks into the soft cloth. A strong arm wrapped around me and pulled my wobbly body closer to him. I huffed and took in the scent of unadulterated ocean and lime.

"Percy?" I had mumbled into his chest. He didn't respond. I tilted my chin and opened my eyes to the burning sun. Even though my eyes resisted, I caught his face coming into vision, an amused smirk played across his lips.

**It's nice to see you're still alive, beautiful.**

He had said. I can't remember his tone or voice, simply his words. Whatever they were, I flustered and hit his chest with my hands.

My eyes open now, unlike before, it wasn't bright anymore. No one was there above me, smiling. I push against the floor and rose to my knees, my head turning around the darkness.

Thalia sat against the wall, holding her head in between her knees. Rachel was groveling on the ground, but didn't seem to be in danger. Behind us, the tunnel was covered with blazing flame and thick smoke.

"We have to get away." I coughed into the inside of my collar. Thalia climbed, using the wall to stable herself and moaned.

I took Rachel's hand and pulled it around my neck.

"Come on." I whispered.

"Mm-hmm." She nodded. We didn't make it far before fatigue washed over us. However we did walked far enough to breath in fresher air, the tunnel had widened into a cavern. We couldn't stay long, but long enough for a rest, I suppose.

The flame probably won't crawl up here, there's not enough fuel, or so I hoped.

We somehow found ourselves huddled together for warmth, which seemed ironic what with the explosion. No one really spoke, we've been through worst, fighting monsters and titans and god knows what else, but a life threatening situation is still one no matter what.

"Crazy, huh?" And Rachel ruined the peace. "A day ago I was just siting on the big house couch while you guys talked about problems and stuff, now we're here."

"Crazy's right." Thalia sighed. "And stupid and hopeless."

"And a sleepover." Thalia and I turned over to Rachel, who's wide grin was ecstatic and gleeful. "I mean it feels like a sleepover." Her fingers grabbed my sides and wiggled under my ribcage sending jolts through my body.

A squeal escaped my lips as I jumped up. I marched away form the wall where we were, growling deep in my throat.

"Come baaaaaack!" She whispered-yelled, waver her hand after me.

This was so stupid, what was going on even? We're not on a quest; we're on a wild goose chase. I don't know what to do! I'm just acting like I did so people don't pity me. I'm just as stupid as this fruitless quest.

"You all right?" Thalia's voice sent a shiver. I jumped and spun around. Her hands rose in defense. "Whoa, I didn't mean to startle you-"

"You didn't mean to startle me!" I repeated, spiting into her face. "You didn't mean call me stupid! You didn't mean to underestimate me! You didn't mean to pity me! Keep on saying that, because I don't believe anything you say anymore! Why don't you just admit it? You just hate me, you think I'm trash. You're just watching me fail; you're not my friend! I hate you!"

The cavern grew even more silent, the darkness seemed heavier, and my hot cheeks slowly cooled in the icy wind.

Thalia stare into my eyes, her lips parted. Her hands lowered, squeezing together into fist. My breath was heavy, my chest rising and falling. I don't care what she's thinking. I don't care-

Thalia's hand swiped across my face, my head jerked to the right, eyes wide on the ground. My cheek radiated a stinging heat, soured by the knife-cold air.

Hot iron pressed against the back of my eyes. The dirt floor bend and twisted as tears edge the rim.

I don't care… I don't. But tears blinded my sight. I didn't dare to close my eyes in fear once they pour out they won't stop.

"Guys!" Rachel ran up and pushed in between the two of us waving her hands eagerly. "H-Hey, let's just…"

Fire pulsed through the dark cavern, lighting the rocky surfaces. Rachel and Thalia backed away from the center of the cavern. At the end a large lizard trampled across toward us. The flames snagged the walls of the cavern, revealing little of the monster's body.

The trimmers of its steps grew stronger, dust and rocks fell from the high ceiling. Its long neck twisted to the side and untwined.

"Ann-"

The beast's head pound against my body. Freezing briefly as I took in the impact, then launched me spinning through the air.

My body crashed against the hard wall, tumbling to the ground.

I couldn't see, only the darkness and stars that skit across my vision. In the distance there were roars and gushing of fire. Those didn't bother me right now, what's important were the stars swimming in the sky.

How pathetic, and you call yourself a Demigod. You didn't even stand a second, one close call after the next. One day your friends are going to be gone and your luck run dry. What will you do then? Scream and cry about it?

How useless, what do you plan to achieve from tears? Moping around won't help you win the war. Stupid. Useless. Incompetent.

That's not true. I'm not useless. There's no such thing as luck, I've faced danger after danger. This is my life.

The darkness retreated. My hands grasped the dirt around me. Slowly I turned over, raising my head and pushing off the ground.

"Annabeth!"

My head rose. The lizard beast -thrice the size of myself- breathed out fire. Its yellow eyes fixated on me, its slits hungry and ravaging.

I forced my eyes away and pushed myself up onto my knees. A spark of pain soared from my leg; a groan left my mouth.

Wait up you stupid lizard. I'm going to kick your ass.

The ground lightened, heat brushed against my face. I turned to the lizard: its mouth gaped open. Flames churned on its tongue.

Then the light washed over me.

I closed my eyes and felt the inevitable burn. My hair blew back, my clothes pulling on my weak limbs. And slowly my eyes open.

Smooth, tan skin brimmed his face with raven black hair flared around him, bright sea green eyes and an arrogant smirk on his lips.

"Hey, your hero has arrived."

* * *

**Did you catch it? That very sentence that held a 5 months (or so) gape in between? Well, I actually had to replace the first section with Percy, because the original one was reeeeeeally crappy.**

**Anyway, give me your thoughts and keep reading.**

**Thanks a lot for supporting.**

**B-Bye.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter took longer at points I hadn't expected it to, but I think it covered many necessary areas. This story is all around very fun to write, something about first-person that a third-person perspective can't achieve.**

**Now I've done some eeeeeeeextensive research on some mythology to bring some "festivity" to the story. I'll try my best to explain the mythology when the time is right, but before then, just read and enjoy.**

* * *

The darkness began to clear, from hazy blur to pristine shine. Damp and cold gales riddled my bare skin. Whoever that boy was, could certainly have been nice enough to leave behind another cloak.

From simple observation, I've concluded that this isn't a normal cave, more likely than not, manmade. Long tunnels connected and forked off, each a relatively similar height and width.

One prevalent feature was the constant darkness, which seemed strange considering at places there were litters of technology, such as light bulbs or light up signs, all of which are off and useless.

My only objective currently was to run down this hall until, hopefully, something happens. Boy, wouldn't it suck if I could never find an exit? I'm sure if that guy in roleplaying costumes could find a way, so can I.

The tunnel jerked and shook. I flange to a wall and gripped on, ducking my head. The quake ended as quickly as it began. Not natural, I suppose. So something's definitely down here with me.

Wind gushed through the tunnels. A deep stench of rot filled the air. I continued to move down the tunnel. The trimmer seemed to have come from this direction; a dangerous lead is better than none.

Before I could pick up speed, another sound rung through the tunnel, this one certainly wasn't wind. I know that sound, it wasn't exactly something you hear everyday; it was low and rumbly.

"Maybe a…" Again, that sound, this time it was closer. Was it behind me? I turned and glared at the blackness. Nothing, nothing I could make out anyway.

Clack!

The sound of rocks rolling and tumbling on the ground played from the other direction. Oooh, very close now. Once more, that sound, yes I recognize it; a howl.

A deep rumbling sound could be heard. I turned to face the sound, the growl.

"What can that possibly be?" I found a smile curl on my lips. One thing I was familiar with, even now, was the thumbing within my chest, the excitement that rushed through my veins.

Another howl. I spun around as the dark hound pounced upon me; it's claws working furiously on my chest. I forced my right leg to its stomach and pushed the beast away from his range.

The hound bit and gnaw the air in front of my face, splatters of saliva hit my cheek. My arms instinctively reached into my pocket. A weapon? No, a pen?

I pulled the object out and lowered the beast that's grasped the chest of my shirt with its claws.

As the hound lowers its head for the bite, I stabbed the bronze metal into its eye. Furious barks turned to wails of agony. The beast jumped back, pulling the cap off. The pen suddenly grew heavier.

My body rolled back and on my knees. In my hands was a three feet long bronze sword. I didn't have time to be confused; I swung the sword at the monster, the blade glazed the stone wall, tracing sparks and hitting the other wall. Damn, no room to use a sword!

Naturally, I jabbed at the hound; hut it jerked away into the shadows before my blade even came close. It was certainly faster than me, that mean I can't initiate the attack.

The hound sprang from the darkness; I drew back and fell as the monster pounced on me, my blade held tightly in front of me. The hound's weight pushed the butt of the sword into my stomach. A wheezing whine left the hound. It's body expanded and bloated, then popped like a balloon. Splatters of ash coated my face and it was gone like a picture in my mind.

Using the sword as a cane, I pulled myself back to my feet, my body didn't feel weak or tired, in fact the adrenaline pumped through me and didn't seem to be letting go.

I couldn't help but laugh, my voice echoing much like the howl. What the hell? I felt like a maniac, a fighter, or perhaps I was a _hero_?

How stupid. That kid's words seem to repeat in my ears: the way he called me, the first title he referred to.

"Hero." I stared at the bronze sword in my hand. "How rich." I loved it. There was ring to the cliché that I can't quite specify, but I knew it wouldn't stop bothering until I felt like a "hero" again. It was an urge, a hunger that could never mend.

Luckily for me, in the distance the howling could be heard, except this time there was more than one. But I don't really seem ready to gamble my luck quite yet. So I, as wisely as every, turn and ran.

I don't know exactly how fast a dog can run, but whatever this is behind me was closing in faster than I would admit. Maybe I'm just slow.

Like aisle lights, small strips of green and orange appeared on the floor, giving somewhat vision to the directions of the hall.

I could hear them now, the patting of paws on the stone tiles, and the huffing breaths of their snouts.

I spun around when I heard the dreading sound of paws leaving stone. My blade slashed found the target in the air very, very close to me. Its body splattered on the grey walls.

Without stopping I continued down the hall. These mutts don't give up do they?

There! Not too far off, a wide crevice stretching to the ceiling. It's either I win it or lose it, lets hope for the former!

I came to an abrupt halt, skidding slightly on the smooth surface. My sword bashed against the weak rocks, the recoil shaking my hands numb. The crack opened up almost 2 feet wide, a twisting passage behind, sandwiched between two walls of edgy rocks.

I squeezed in between the beds of rock, patting the walls with my left hand and walking carefully and steadily. Last thing I needed was a loose rock to crumble down on my skull or the dry and eroded floor give out underneath.

The hounds reached the opening of the thin route, their barking echoed through the cave. I turned my head to the opening, hitting a ledge above me and wincing. The mutts didn't come in or rather they couldn't, they simply weren't flexible enough. For a moment I thought about staying there and taunting the little creepers.

Crumbling could be heard high above. First a few pebbles rolled down from the walls, then in a blink, a boulder crashed in between the entrance and me. The rocks broke into pieces, picking up dust.

"A-Alright." I sighed out the shocking tension. I turned back to the other direction and continued. Sucking in my stomach, I wedged further into the little path. Thank God I'm not claustrophobic.

"Some hero." I scuffed. I could barely defend myself from dogs and now I'm crawling between the Earth like a worm. But I won't quit just yet, the urge within my guts and the pounding in my chest won't let me.

The pathway changed from wide to leaner, at points I managed small cuts on my shirt and stomach, nothing too bad.

At first, I froze every few steps at the sound of crumbles and rumbles from somewhere deep within the rocks, after awhile, the rumbles became more constant. It was when the stones and rocks changed to red soil and clay that I finally managed to make out the noise, they weren't the rocks it was a voice. It died down, leaving the painful silence behind.

The path began to close in on me, in front of me wasn't much room for even my arms. I can't stop here! I forced my arm further down, pushing the dirt aside. Clumps of dirt shuffled down onto my shoulders. My body tensed, my ears tilted upward to listen for more falling. Carefully now…

I pushed further inch-by-inch. My fingers poked through the tight crack and folded onto the wall of the other side. Good, an opening.

I gasped for air, what little of it left in here, and bent my knees. My grip on the wall's edge tightened. Just a little bit further.

I felt it before I heard it, the air conjuring around my arm, curling around my skin and through my hair. The dirt around me suddenly pulled upwards and apart, just barely.

I sighed, the dirt contracted once more. Yes, I felt it before, just momentarily when the monster's exploded.

I breathed in and closed my eyes, the air wrapped around me like a soft blanket. It intertwined around my body, sending chills down my back. Yes, I could feel it as prominently as the sun, a wavering current that washed over me, weaving into the fabric of my dirtied tunic.

My body tensed, my muscles tightened, the air grew violent, thrashing against the dirt.

"Fragarach!" The churning wind expanded, bending the dirt walls apart. Quickly I leaped out as dirt and mud trampled the crevice. My head whirled and my skin felt numb, nonetheless a grin stretched across my lips.

Something about that name ringed in my head like a bell, beautiful and ecstatic. It felt _right _to call out that name, but I didn't even know whom it belonged to—or what for that matter.

"Annabeth!" A voice! My head rose to find myself in yet another tunnel. On the other side was an exit, bright light flared on the walls of the cave. I don't know what was happening, but it sounded urgent.

I knew I couldn't resist. I knew I couldn't run away. Some how I felt—or rather understood that this was my duty to protect those people.

I bolted from the ground and ran out of the exit, finding myself on the ledge overlooking a wide cavern. There, beneath me was a dragon, its head raised high, flames brewing behind the rigid fangs…

… and a girl kneeling on the ground before the monster trying to rise like a persistent tribute to its beast.

Without thought or regret, quite stupidly in fact, I dropped down to the ground floor. The yellow flames engulfed me as I made contact with the soil. I waved my sword in front of me and the air blew apart, separating the flames like water.

I turned away from the burning heat and found the girl, a beautiful little thing. Her blond curls glistened in the bright light like glimmering gold or the sea under a setting sun. Her skin was dirtied by mud and ash, but they didn't seem to adulterate the incredible fairness of her smooth cheeks. Long eyelashes closed, her mouth parted looking like she was ready to except the raging heat.

Her eyelids fluttered open, first confused, then even more confused. Those sharp and dazzling grey eyes fell upon me and a new look took form. Shock. Disbelief. Astonishment.

"Hey," I knew I had to say something, something to reassure her. "your hero has arrived."

Fire washed away, staining the grounds around us. The lizard monster roared, very differently compared to the hounds. Very scary.

Let's go, big guy. I darted forward and jumped, becoming airborne. I felt the wind carrying me much further than humanly possible.

The dragon shifted its neck dodging my sword. Idiot.

Right as I passed the dragon, I stabbed my sword into the scales of its back. My acceleration forced my legs over my head and I landed back-to-back with the monster, clinging on to the sword.

The lizard bellowed, rising up to his hind legs. The large body tumbled and fell onto its side; I pulled the sword free and hopped to the ground, rolling on impact. I found my legs and came to a stop on my hands and toes.

The monster swiped its tail across the ground, the spikes now very intimidating.

I took two steps forward and sprang into the air, my arms extended. My body spiraled over the tail and landed in a twirl. The dragon reached in to snag my head with its razor sharp teeth. Almost on instinct, I swung my blade ripping through the lizard's face from eye to jaw.

Flame spewed to the ground, liquid in texture like saliva. It tried to bury me in lava fire, however the armor of air surrounding my body blew the fire aside like a transparent dome.

The dragon's head curled into its chest and flung out like a whip. I simply hopped backwards, however my body was thrown by the wind out of the reach of the monster.

I landed in a crouch, than shot forward twisting in the air. My blade arched around and slashed the dragon's extended neck, the blade halted midway.

I clenched my teeth feeling a raging tempest within me.

"Fragarach!" the blade shimmered and vibrated as air rushed through its metal. The bronze pushed through the drake's neck, slicing it in two. I dropped down, encircled by the newly late dragon. Bright yellow flames gushed from its wounded neck. Suddenly the carcass burst into flame and light, glittering in the air like confetti.

Hot wind brushed through my shirt and black hair flailing around my ears. My down casted eyes rose and fell upon the form of the girl struggling to standing.

Her eyes locked with mine. In that very instance, I knew. I knew that she recognized me, she was someone important, or at least that's what I've guessed, hopeful thinking if anything.

I smiled to her, turning my body to face her when suddenly a blade touched my neck.

"Don't move." It was the same voice, if I remembered correctly, that I heard from upstairs.

I tilted my head towards her, glancing at her form in the corners of my eyes.

The blade- or rather spear- pressed harder. "I said 'don't move.'"

A gothic girl, a rebel, and certainly a stubborn person, in other words: trouble. I didn't doubt for a moment that she was willing to kill me, but I knew she wouldn't be able to.

"Wait!" The blonde girl- Annabeth- rushed over. "Thalia, don't." She stopped in front of me and pushed the spear aside. Her finger lingered on my neck, slowly moving to my cheek as if checking that I was real. "It's… it's you." Her eyes moved over my features, her already teary eyes swelled with fresh fuel. "It's really you."

"Who?" my voice was like a whisper, almost frightened. "Who am I?"

"What do you mean?" She retracted her hand. "You're Percy." Her answered seemed to have shocked herself as much as the gasping girls behind me.

"My name is… Percy." I tried the word. "Nothing. I don't feeling anything."

Annabeth tilted her head and furled her eyebrows.

"I don't remember who I am."

"Percy!" A stinging slap hit my back. My body jerked forward, I groaned and turned around my glare burning.

Two girls stood there, beside the tomboy was a flamboyant redhead, grinning wide.

"It's so nice to see you again!" She screamed. "I didn't even notice you were gone! HA HA HA!" I couldn't really tell if her laughter was real or not.

"I'd say." I pulled my sword closer to me; I didn't really want to cut anyone on accident. "Sorry, have we met before?" I realized the stupidity of the question as I spoke it.

The redhead jolt back, as if stun by electricity grabbing her chest dramatically. She relaxed and extended her hand casually.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare, nice to meet you." She bowed. I like this girl.

"Asshole much?" The… expressive girl, Thalia rolled her eyes. Whoa, excuse me?

"Excuse me?" I raised an eyebrow. She snarled back.

"'Hey! Haven't seen you guys for months. Who are you?'" Thalia mimicked what could only be a stupid man voice; she's quite good at it.

"Sorry, but um. I believe the correct words were: thanks for saving my life." Thalia's hold on her spear tightened, light sparked on the edge of the blade. I've never tried Fragarach against electricity before, or fire for that matter, but if it worked for one why not the other?

"First: you didn't save me, second: I could have handled it!" Thalia stepped closer. I flicked my sword- this seemed to surprise her.

Thalia's scowl turned into a glare.

"You wanna start?" She hissed.

"Thalia!" Annabeth circled around me and slapped away Thalia's spear and scolded her. She turned to me and said more gently. "Put away your sword, Percy."

"I would, but I don't have a sheath." I patted where my belt should have been and shrugged.

Annabeth shook her head and walked up real close to me. I stepped back but her hand reached into my pocket before I could argue. She pulled out a bronze cap and handed it to me.

"Riptide always returns to you, so it seems." Annabeth sighed, it seems like she wasn't sure in her words.

"Riptide?" I looked at the sword in my hand. "I thought it was Fragarach?" I capped the blade, reversing it into pen form like I found not too long ago.

"What did you meant when you said you 'don't remember?'" Her eyes were filled with concern now, why? What's it to her?

"I can't remember anything."

"Oh!" Rachel raised her hand. "Like you can't remember _anything_? Like, you can't remember when you fought the dragon? Or the very words you're saying right now? Who am I?!" Never mind…

I scratched the back of my head. "N-No, I remember you. I meant that I couldn't remember anything before when I woke up, about an hour ago."

Annabeth's eyes widened, her mouth gaped.

"Tell me exactly what happened!" She demanded. Very, very scary.

"I woke up in a small cave, lying in some kind of a pond-"

"What color?"

"What?"

"The water!" Annabeth pressed.

"White, I think. Why?"

Annabeth's face contorted into a form of horror. From her facial expression, it seems as if her worst nightmare was proven reality. She stepped back, her eyes wandering on the ground.

"… Face your lost…" Mumbled words passed her lips.

"You've gotta be joking." Thalia walked up next to Annabeth.

"Guys…"

"What!" Annabeth and Thalia snapped simultaneously.

Rachel pointed with both index fingers towards the cave entrance opposite of the one I came from.

There on the floor, a small shimmer of light appeared on the floor, stretching like symbols.

"That little baster!" Thalia growled.

The ribbons of light shifted and shook. Not good. I slipped pass the girls and raised my hand in front of me.

Like a blink, the eerie cave entrance lighted in flames. Fire gushed pass us, arching around the swirling current of air before my palm. I felt it, the heat and burn brushing against my arm.

I stepped back, supporting my right hand with my left.

"I can't hold it!" I wheezed out. "Get out of here!"

Another flashes, this time behind me, a blue one.

"Per-!" Annabeth's voice was cut off with another flash. Tendrils of electricity danced around my legs from behind me.

Fragarach broke and dispersed. My eyes widened as my only defense crumbled. The light touched my shirt when I swung my arms forcing the wind to my command. My body flung backwards, flipping and spinning uncontrollably in the air.

I hit something hard, my body flattened, the wall to my back. My body began to drop when a spear pierced the rock above me.

A flash of blue light zipped from my right and connecting with the spear. The light faded, a hand reached down and grasped mine. I raised my head to see the gritting face of Thalia, struggling to keep a hold on me.

"Thalia!" I turned my head to my right and found a small opening. Annabeth stood at the edge of the opening waving a dagger. She stabbed the blade into the ground.

Thalia cried out. Then everything turned white.

My body screamed in burning pain, my skin peeling and flaking, my hair frying and my blood boiling.

Then it was dark again, not lasting more than a millisecond. My eyes burst open to see a wall of fire waving in front of me.

Two arms wrapped around me from under my shoulders. Annabeth's non-cohesive voice whispered into my ears, fearful and relieved all at the same time with a whole ocean of other emotions. Her hand gripped tightly on the chest of my shirt, her squeeze was almost painful. My left shoulder dampened, I didn't have to look to know she was crying. Her head rested on my shoulder, her hair flared out around me.

"I'm so glad…" She wept. "I'm so glad you're alright!" Her voice changed into a frenzy of hiccups. "I don't want to lose you again! Don't disappear. Don't ever disappear, again." I reached up and held one of her hand in mine and squeezed gently. I didn't know what to say, I barely even knew this girl.

"We have to go, people!" Thalia grunted, her breathing was hard and laboring, sweat ran down her forehead.

Annabeth stood, giving me her hand and pulling me up as well.

"Look!" Rachel call deeper in the enclave. "A passage!" Lucky or unlucky?

I turned to Annabeth, whose face was down, her hair around her face. I took her hand in mine and brushed aside her blonde hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were rosy and swelled.

I didn't say anything, only smiled. She seemed to get the message; for she smiled in return.

Thalia took the lead with Rachel right at her heels. The two of us lingered a bit behind. The poor girl didn't look like there was any strength left in her. To be fair, if I was beat down by a dragon, I'd be a bit withered too.

"Which way?" Thalia demanded as we reached a split, two tunnels looking very identical.

Rachel shrugged and tilted her head.

"What does that mean?" Thalia roared, buds of light sparking around her.

"N-N-No, I'm trying to say that it doesn't matter!" Rachel waved her hands. "Both ways are pretty much the same: no traps, no dead ends, no nothing."

Thalia huffed, her finger waved back and forth from right to left.

"I choose, right." We followed her into the right tunnel. All was sound until, in the distance, a roar erupted, a rolling below that deepened into a… moo?

"What was that…?" Rachel looked back between Thalia and Annabeth.

Annabeth marched forward, unleashing her dagger.

"Trouble." She answered simply.

"The Minotaur." Thalia elaborated, her accusing gaze fell on me. What the hell did I do? "Suppose to be dead, three times now."

"We can't fight in this environment." Annabeth turned around and waved us to do so as well. She was right: the tunnel was very small, no room to maneuver and if the Minotaur is anything like a bull then we'll be in trouble.

"I can take him!" Thalia challenged with stupid arrogance.

"No you can't." Annabeth called over her shoulder. "Come on, let's go!"

Thalia seemed reluctant, but followed anyway.

Luckily we barely took 5 steps in the right tunnel so backtracking wasn't hard.

Something within me seemed to cry at what just happened. It seemed too accidental that the Minotaur would make itself known right as we stepped into one direction. Not to mention the explosion. Maybe someone was leading us somewhere, but what can we do about that now?

The left tunnel was just as small; in fact it only grew smaller to the point that we had to duck to continue.

Moo…

There it was again, the evil cow of doom. Its cry echoed in the tunnel, very clearly behind us.

"Hurry, hurry!" Rachel pleaded. We all picked up our pace, crawling through the small holes that was once a hallway.

"How big is the Minotaur?" I called to the front. "I mean, it can't possibly reach us here, right?"

I could hear Thalia sigh loudly on purpose. Seriously, does this girl want to duke it out or something?

"No…" Annabeth answered from far ahead. Getting on her hands and knees now to fit into the smaller hole. "But we always run the risk of other more… natural conflicts." Oh, yeah that, scary.

Rachel got on her knees and followed Annabeth, then Thalia. Before she entered, her head snapped around with a glare already on.

"Don't you dare look." She sneered.

"What?"

"Don't look up when we're in the tunnels!" She barked.

"Oh my god, are you serious right now?" I closed my eyes and shook my head. "This is hardly the time-"

"But it's the exact place. Don't. Look. Up." Clearly she wasn't going to back down, so I nodded.

Thalia crawled behind the other two, and I got on my knees as well. It was nearly pitch-dark now, how the hell did she expect my to-

"Are you looking!?" Thalia shouted from up front.

"Looking at what?" my voice was slicked with sarcasm. The reward for my smart-assery was a stomp on my shoulder. "Ow!"

"Sorry, I had some dirt on my shoes." Now her voice was very much sarcastic. Another kick. "And the other one…"

"I swear, touch me one more time!"

"Girls!" Annabeth called. "Will you two stop it?"

The tunnel was left in silence, along with the darkness it felt as if I wasn't even in a tunnel. I could be anywhere, in a dark parking lot, or a vast cloudy field, or a coffin. I hate this feeling; it's the feeling of uncertainty and fear.

"Here." Annabeth's hand touched mine. I rose into an opening, but I could barely make out any of their faces.

Blue light sparked like a flashlight aimed directly at me. The light dulled, dancing on Thalia's hand, buzzing. All around us shadows jumped and waved at the light.

"A door!" Rachel called out. We turned to her, her arm stretched out pointing to the left.

There on the ceiling was a square slab of stone wedged into the dirt.

"More like an architectural mishap." I commented.

"No, silly. It's a door. I can feeeeel it…!" Her eyes widened, her head tilted. In the dancing light, she seemed like a crazy crook. Yes, indeed, everything today seems quite scary.

"A lightning lock." Thalia traced the stone with her finger. Strings of light glowed where her fingers rubbed. "An antique crimson lock."

"What lock?" I asked.

"Crimson." Annabeth repeated. "A lock or seal that requires a signature to open, usually blood in the old days, hence the name." She sighed, not annoyed, rather relieved as if explaining something to me eased her. "Can you unlock it, Thalia?"

"Yup," Thalia looked over her shoulder and gave a thumb's up. "Ain't nobody got the signature of lightning other than my old man."

"Sorry, what?" I leaned in. I wasn't sure at first, plus I couldn't really ask questions when a giant lizard was trying to eat me.

"My dad." Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Zeus?"

What? I'm I missing out on something here?

The spark of electricity in Thalia's hand morphed and extended into a spear of lightning.

"What ho!"

All I saw was a burst of light and dust exploded around us. The stone shattered, crumbling to the floor, dust and dirt patted the ground and on us.

There was something new, a light unlike the drake's fire or Thalia's bolt. It was a softer light, white and pale. I reached up, grabbing the dirt around me and pulled, I was engulfed by this new light.

"Jackson! Move it!" Thalia snapped. The cloud of dust settled. Before me were people, standing all around, circling us even. There were tables and chairs, a counter where an attendant gazed at us with more or less an irritated expression.

"He-Hey!" Thalia crawled out beside me. "We popped out in the Empire State Building!"

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. There were a few fight scenes as compromise for the muter first chapter. I'm currently working on the 6****th**** chapter, when I finish I'll publish the 4****th**** one.**

**I hope I'm setting things up for the plot of this story. And don't worry; there will be a "awesome Percy beating people up" part of the story, just not yet.**


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